1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof, and in particular to a structure of a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) device, a fabrication method thereof, and a structure of a memory cell implemented with the MOSFET device.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, as the degree of circuit integration of a semiconductor device has increased, the distance between the source and drain of a MOSFET device has decreased. When the distance between the source and drain decreases below a critical value, the sum of the depletion region of the source and the depletion region of the drain becomes the same as the distance between the source and drain which causes a punch through phenomenon. When the above-described punch through phenomenon occurs, the depletion regions of the source and drain contact each other so that it is impossible to control the current flowing in the MOSFET device.
Since the width of the depletion region is in inverse proportion to the concentration of the dopants, as the concentration of the dopants is increased, the width of the depletion region is decreased. Therefore, in order to overcome the above-described punch through problems, a punch through stopper has been ion-implanted to increase the concentration of dopants in the region in which a channel is formed between the source and the drain.
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a conventional MOSFET device. As shown therein, an active region A and an isolation region B are defined. A first gate 14a traverses the active region A, and a second gate 14b is formed in the isolation region B. The first gate 14a and the second gate 14b are integrally connected. First contacts 19 are formed in the active region A at both sides of the first gate 14a. A second contact 21 is formed at the second gate 14b in the isolation region B.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-Fxe2x80x2 of FIG. 1. As shown therein, a field insulation layer 3 is formed in an upper portion of a p-type semiconductor substrate 1, and the region of the semiconductor substrate 1 is divided into an active region A and isolation regions B. A gate insulation film 5a, a polycrystal silicon film 7a, a silicide film 9a, and a capping insulation film 12a are sequentially formed on an upper surface of the active region A to form a first gate 14a. The capping insulation film 12a is formed in a multiple tier structure in which a nitride film is formed on an upper surface of an oxide film. Side wall spacers 15 are formed on both the lateral surfaces of the first gate. A source/drain region 17 is formed in such as manner that a donor is implanted into an upper portion of the p-type semiconductor substrate 1 between the first gate 14a and the field insulation layer 3. The source/drain region 17 is formed of a N+ region 17a having a higher doping concentration and a Nxe2x88x92 region 17b having a lower doping concentration. A first contact 19 formed of a conductive material is formed on an upper surface of the source/drain region 17.
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-Cxe2x80x2 of FIG. 1. As shown therein, a second contact 21 formed of a conductive material is formed on an upper surface of the silicide film 9b which is exposed by patterning the capping insulation film 12b of the second gate 14b formed on the field insulation layer 3 which forms the insulation region B.
The conventional MOSFET device fabrication method will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3A through 3F.
As shown in FIG. 3A, a trench 2 is formed in the semiconductor substrate 1, and a field insulation layer 3 is filled into the trench 2. This divides the semiconductor substrate into an active region A and isolation regions B. A buffer oxide film 25 is formed on an upper surface of the p-type semiconductor substrate 1. Acceptors such as boron ions, which act as a punch through stopper, are implanted into an upper portion of the active region A of the semiconductor substrate 1. The buffer oxide film 25 is removed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, a gate insulation film 5a, a polycrystal silicon film 7a, and a silicide film 9a are sequentially formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate 1. Thereafter, an oxide film and a nitride film are sequentially formed on an upper surface of the silicide film 9a to form the capping insulation film 12a. 
As shown in FIG. 3C, the capping insulation film 12a, the silicide film 9a, and the polycrystal silicon film 7a, which are formed on the semiconductor substrate 1, are sequentially patterned to form a first gate 14a. Donors such as phosphorus ions are implanted into the active region A of the semiconductor substrate 1 using the first gate 14a as a mask to form a Nxe2x88x92 region 17a. 
As shown in FIG. 3D, a nitride film is formed on the entire surfaces of the semiconductor substrate 1 including the first gate, and a side wall spacer 15 is formed on a lateral surface of the first gate 14a by performing an anisotropical etching operation without using a mask. Donors such as arsenic ions are implanted into the active region A of the semiconductor substrate using the first gate 14a and the side wall spacer 15 as a mask. Thereafter, a source/drain region 17 having a LDD (Low Doped Drain) structure of a N+ region 17b having a higher doping concentration and a Nxe2x88x92 region 17a having a lower doping concentration are formed based on an annealing operation.
Next, as shown in FIG. 3E, the gate insulation film 5a is patterned so that a certain region of the upper surface of the source/drain region 17 is exposed. A first contact 19 formed of a conductive material is formed on an upper surface of the exposed source/drain region 17.
As shown in FIG. 3F, a capping insulation film 12b of the second gate 14b formed on the field insulation layer 3 is patterned, and a certain region of the silicide film 9b is exposed. A second contact 21 is formed on an upper surface of the exposed silicide film 9b. The second gate 14b and the first gate 14a are concurrently formed during the same process. In the conventional art, in order to prevent a punch through phenomenon, a punch through stopper is provided in the region in which the channel is formed. However, there is a certain limit for increasing the concentration of a punch through stopper at a region in which a channel is formed. Furthermore, since the source and drain are formed at the same depth, as the density of a device is increased, the margin of the device required for preventing the punch through phenomenon is decreased. Therefore, it is difficult to increase the density, i.e., the degree of integration, of a device.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a MOSFET device structure, a fabrication method thereof, and a memory cell which are capable of preventing a punch through phenomenon and which obtain a certain margin of a device which is required for enhancing the degree of integration of the device.
To achieve the above object, there is provided a MOSFET device comprising a semiconductor substrate having an active region, the active region including a first substrate surface at a first level of the substrate, a second substrate surface at a second level of the substrate, the second level being lower than the first level, and a third substrate surface extending from the second substrate surface to the first substrate surface, a first gate formed over the third substrate surface, source/drain regions formed in the first substrate surface and the second substrate surface laterally separated from the first gate, and first conductive contacts formed on the source/drain regions.
In another aspect, the present invention contemplates a method for fabricating a MOSFET device, comprising the steps of providing a substrate having a first surface, providing first and second insulation layers in the substrate to divide the substrate into a first active region between the first and second insulation layers and an isolation region outside of the insulation layers, etching an area of the active region of the semiconductor substrate to form a second surface etched in parallel with and below the first surface and a third surface extending from the second surface to the first surfaces, implanting a first conductivity type punch through stopper impurity into the first, second, and third surfaces of the semiconductor substrate, forming a first gate on the third surface of the semiconductor substrate, forming a source/drain regions by implanting a second conductivity type impurity into the first and second surfaces of the substrate in areas laterally adjacent to the first gate, exposing portions of the source/drain regions, and forming first contacts on an upper surface of the exposed portions of the source/drain regions.
The present invention further contemplates a memory cell comprising a substrate having a first surface, a first isolation region formed in the substrate and a second isolation region formed in the substrate, a first active region in the area between the first isolation region and the second isolation region, a second surface of the substrate formed in the active area and at a depth below the first surface of the substrate, a third surface of the substrate extending from the second surface to the first surface, a first gate formed over the third surface of the substrate, a side wall spacer formed on a lateral surface of the gate, source/drain regions formed below the first and second surfaces of the semiconductor substrate adjacent lateral surfaces of the first gate, and a storage node contact plug and a bit line plug formed on an upper surface of the source/drain regions.
Additional advantages, objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the description which follows.